


I have a letter, M’sieur

by sstwins



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, different meaning!, like it's all based on part of 'The Baricade' song, same lyrics, this is vaguely musical canon fyi!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-06
Updated: 2017-03-06
Packaged: 2018-09-30 01:19:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10149872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sstwins/pseuds/sstwins
Summary: Eponine tries to deliver a love letter to Cosette. Valjean catches her at the gate.





	

Eponine brushed her hand against the black metal of the gate, fingers searching for the latch. She’d opened the gate so many times before that she knew exactly how to get in, but it always took her a minute to get it open. Her fingers just needed to reach a few more inches…  just a little more-

Eponine’s breath snagged in her throat as she was thrown back from the gate by a large, powerful force. She tried to right herself, but the man’s hands had closed around her wrists, dragging her up to his eye level. Eponine gulped as she looked into his dark, imposing brown eyes. This must be Cosette’s father.

“I… have a letter, M’sieur,” she gasped out, quickly trying to explain what she was doing. The man released her and she tumbled to the ground, yanking the paper out of the her pocket. “It’s addressed to your daughter, Cosette.” Pulling herself to her feet, she straightened the hat that was disguising her at present (she wasn’t so sure about her masculine choice of disguise, but it was too late to change it), and pressed her body against the fence. There was no good escape route in case she needed to run; Cosette’s father was blocking her exit.

The man was looking at her expectantly, and Eponine realized that he wanted the letter. The letter that was signed from Eponine herself to Cosette, yet another of their secret love letters that they’d both kept hidden from the world. Cosette had been very firm in saying that her father didn’t know she liked women, and she wasn’t ready to tell him yet. Eponine couldn’t let him have it. She tucked the letter behind her back, scrambling for some excuse as to what it contained.

Marius. Yes, Marius could be her excuse. He was an eligible boy, and Eponine knew he wouldn’t mind being mentioned. “It’s from a boy at the barricade, sir, in the rue de Villette.”

Cosette’s father was still looking at her. He extended his hand. “Give that letter here, my boy.”

Eponine pressed herself even flatter against the gate, shaking her head. “He said to give it to Cosette.”

The man ignored her statement, and yanked her arm forwards from behind her back, almost making Eponine cry out. He clearly didn’t know just how strong he was. Cosette’s father plucked the letter from her hands and placed it into his own pocket. “You have my word that my daughter will know what this letter contains,” he stated, but Eponine could hear the underlying implication that he was planning to read it first, goddamn it. “Tell the young man she will read it tomorrow, and here’s for your pains.” Prying Eponine from the gate, the man placed a coin in her hand. Eponine looked it in disgust. Normally she wouldn’t frown at the sight of free money, but she would much rather have the letter back than receive this man’s charity.

The man gave her one final pat on the back that was maybe supposed to be friendly but actually knocked her forwards onto the curb. “Go careful now,” he stated, “stay out of sight. There’s danger in the streets tonight.” Then, with a creak of the gate, he had slipped inside and shut it firmly behind him. Eponine raced up to the entrance, but it was already too late. He had done what Cosette never did, and had locked it behind himself.

Now Eponine was all alone again, because Cosette’s father was definitely going to take the girl away now, just like he’d been warning Cosette he would. Eponine had just lost the only person who had ever really mattered to her. Sitting down on the curb, Eponine’s eyes welled up, and she bitterly threw the coin in the gutter as rain began to fall, slowly at first, then drenching her completely, streaking down her cheeks like tears.


End file.
